Having an energy efficient home is important for you, your family and your wallet. However, some homes can be too airtight, which can cause problems with proper ventilation. No one wants to throw open a window in the middle of summer or winter to allow fresh air into the home, and with an energy recovery ventilator in Dover, you don’t have to. An energy recovery ventilator (ERV) from Atlantic Refrigeration can help you properly ventilate your home while also reducing your energy usage.

How Does an ERV Work?

An ERV is a component that attaches directly to your HVAC system, and is used year-round. ERVs capitalize on a law of thermodynamics that states energy will spontaneously move from areas of high energy to low energy. As such, when two different temperatures meet, the heat, which is energy, transfers from the higher temperature to the lower one. Additionally, ERVs transfer moisture in a very similar way to heat. Inside every ERV is a heat exchanger that allows moisture to transfer between incoming and outgoing air. As with heat, high levels of moisture move to lower levels of moisture.

How Does It Differ Seasonally?

Here is how an ERV works during summer and winter:

Winter – upon expulsion from your home, the warm, humidified indoor air transfers moisture and heat to the cold, dry incoming air, preheating it and adding needed moisture as it enters your HVAC system.

Summer – the cool, dehumidified air is expelled, and as the fresh, more humid air enters, the expelled indoor air absorbs the excess heat and moisture from the incoming air before leaving the system. This pre-cools and dehumidifies the incoming air before it enters your system.

Benefits of an ERV

Greater energy efficiency – the pre-treating of incoming air reduces the amount of work your HVAC system has to do, which helps reduce the amount of energy it uses

Better indoor air quality – the constant stream of fresh air increases your indoor air quality